state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...
from its start, then run as a
concurrency
Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to:
Law
* Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea''
* Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
with Route 55 in Vineland. From there it would have continued east and ended at Ocean City. It was designed as a connection between
South Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey located between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of South Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquialism rather than an administrative ...
and points west via the Delaware Memorial Bridge. However, the nearby Atlantic City Expressway, combined with a fiscal crisis in the mid-1970s, prevented the freeway from being built.
Despite the plans for the freeway being shelved, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) hasn't officially taken it off their route log. Route 60 along with Route 74, and Route 85 are the only remaining unbuilt freeways not yet repealed the New Jersey State Legislature.
History
Route 60 was designated in 1953 as a proposed freeway from the Verga section of West Deptford Township via Barrington to Bridgeboro. This was realigned and was later designated as part of I-295.
Facing a dilemma due to the increase in automobile traffic after World War II, the New Jersey State Highway Department brought together a proposed set of freeways across the state of New Jersey in 1960. One proposal set forth was of a freeway connecting Deepwater to Ocean City, paralleling the alignment of U.S. Route 40. From the community of Millville to Vineland, Route 60 was proposed to be concurrent with the also proposed Route 55. From there, the highway was supposed to head eastward to the U.S. Route 9 Expressway near Ocean City, New Jersey. The design of the freeway was to help improve urbanization through places such as Millville and Vineland, along with providing access for people from Delaware, Maryland, and southeastern Pennsylvania to the southern portions of the
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...
. The New Jersey Department of Transportation did estimate construction of the freeway to cost $116 million (1967 USD), however, difficulties in the economy along with the close proximity of the nearby Atlantic City Expressway killed the project from moving forward.
Since the 1970s, proposals have arisen to revive the Route 60 freeway. In 2007, the Western/Southern Cumberland Regional Planning proposed a new freeway spur from the constructed Route 55 Freeway to the community of
Bridgeton, New Jersey
Bridgeton is a city in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is the county seat of Cumberland CountyCounty Route 552. This same study indicates a need for a limited access interstate freeway from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.
. In February 2010, Assemblywoman Celeste Riley proposed the revival of the Route 60 freeway via a study of the lack of transportation in Bridgeton. The study would also look into the best transportation between the Delaware Memorial Bridge and
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
. However, local officials believe these proposals may not form into reality due to local opposition.